Tuesday, October 27, 2015

I'm participating in the 30 Days of Hecate program offered by Joanna Powell Colbert. I tried to do one before but mundania got in the way. Since I've been hearing Hekate's call for a while now, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to begin working with her more deeply.

Journaling prompt:"At what crossroads do you stand? How might you call to Hekate as your guide."

Sadly, I think I've been standing at these crossroads for some time, perhaps it is a slightly different fork in the journey, maybe I've made a few more steps and reached the next point, but I think they keep popping back up because I fail to take the path that deep down I know I should take. That isn't to say that each journey down the other fork doesn't bring me something, but every time I hit a crossroads I know that one of the options is going to take me a particular place and I've yet to be able to bring myself to step down that path. It is funny how you can simply walk yourself around and around in circles ignoring the hints and the 2x4s that come your way, deliberately finding excuses to put things off and say "next time."

This journey, this point in my life, this moment when I'm being presented with more and more evidence of the divine support that is willing to help me on this journey is the moment that I need to embrace. I think that Hekate is waiting for me, I just need to seek her out. She has come to me more strongly before, and she's definitely a weaker presence than she has been, but I still sense her there. It is funny that for all the negative publicity that she gets I only get a gentle presence who is saying that you will get there when you are ready and I will be waiting for you when that time comes. She is a guide, someone to assist with the journey, to prod you along when needed, to offer caring and love and support, to be the guiding light in the darkness.

In darkest night with failing light
to the deepest reaches are you drawn
to seek which lies within
the deepest darkness before the dawn

By a flickering light
on a distant path
she stands before you
dare you ask?

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Persephone is a strictly Greek goddess, Although she was
later incorporated into the Roman pantheon as Proserpina. She is the daughter of Demeter and Zeus

Correspondences

Day of the week

Persephone is often associated with Monday.

Flowers and Herbs

The following Flowers and Herbs are found to be associated
with Persephone: grain, lily of the valley, spring flowers, pomegranates,
narcissus, lavender, ivy, daisy, mint, reeds, willow tree.

Fragrances and Incenses

Spring fragrances such as narcissus, lily, hyacinth,
vanilla but also earthy fragrances such as amber, and bergamot are all
associated with the goddess Persephone.

Crystals and Gemstones

Citrine, Peridot, Green Tourmaline, Topaz, quartz, agate,
black onyx, pink tourmaline, sapphire, obsidian, mercury, coral, agate, and
jasper are all stones that can be used in connection with Persephone.

Foods

Food associated with Persephone include: pomegranates and
grains, both of which are associated with her connection to the harvest
seasons.

Sabbats

As a maiden goddess Persephone could be called upon at
Imbolc or Ostara. With her mother
Demeter she could be used as part of a Mabon celebration or even Samhain.

Metals

While there are no particular metals said to be associated
with Persephone, as a queen of the underworld, and through her link with
Hades you could almost use any kind of precious metal that is dug forth from
the earth such as gold, silver etc.

Aspects

Persephone as a Kore, is a maiden goddess, however when
she descends to the underworld she is a Queen, and therefore is more
representative of the Mother aspect.
She is a goddess of spring and rebirth, wisdom and innocence as well
as death and spiritual connections.

Favored Offerings

Some of Persephone’s favored offerings would include:
pomegranates, spring flowers, grains.
The ancient Greeks also used to have precious gems engraved as
offerings and honoring of the goddess Persephone.

Myth & Legend

The myth of Persephone’s abduction is well known. Persephone (Kore) was a child of Demeter
and Zeus who often played with her father’s other daughters Athena and
Aphrodite and was generally the perfect daughter. As Kore approached womanhood and grew more
beautiful she attracted Hades attention who sought Zeus’ permission to marry
Persephone and was granted it. In
secret the two plotted for Hades to kidnap Persephone. One day as she was in the meadow playing as
usual a narcissus caught Persephone’s attention and when she plucked it from
the ground a hole to the underworld opened up and Hades emerged stealing her
away to the underworld to be his wife.

When Demeter realized that her daughter was missing she
searched desperately for her daughter.
Deeply in mourning for her daughter Demeter roamed the earth in the
form of an old lady carrying a lighted torch.
Eventually the goddess Hekate instructed Demeter that she should seek
the sun god Helios for information, he in turn informed Demeter of
Persephone’s kidnapping.

Demeter begged Zeus for the return of her daughter a demand
the Zeus eventually was forced to give in to because Demeter’s sorrow had
left the land barren and without crops or livestock the people could not
honor the gods. Hades, however, did
not wish to give up Persephone and because Persephone had consumed some
pomegranate seeds he could demand that she must return to live with him in
the underworld for a certain amount of time each year (myths vary as to
whether it is a 6 month split, a 7/5 split or a 9/3 split).

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

So I'm stealing inspiration from one of the many pagan blog challenges today as my brain isn't quite up to snuff after fighting off a cold and a migraine.

The question - How did you discover your path?

I was never raised in a religious household, I can't really say it was agnostic or atheist even either, we just never talked about religion. I vaguely recall being taken to Sunday school twice but then we stopped going. My mother always had some kind of religious tendencies but my father would definitely be described as atheist. So apart from the odd jaunt to church with friends if I was staying at their homes I never actually encountered any religious teachings. Yet despite this I never felt any kind of draw towards Christianity, what minor interactions I did have with it just didn't resonate with me at all and most of those I knew who were church going people seemed rather hypocritical to me.

So it comes that I am 16 years old and I don't have a religious system, or a faith system really. I have always had a vivid imagination and was always drawn to the mythology and tales of the ancient Greeks etc. So when I met a friend who was just starting in her path into Wicca I became very intrigued. I grabbed a few books (Cunningham's of course) and began to devour them. Things made sense and I was in a time of great crisis in my life and the idea of a strong goddess figure was certainly a powerful one. I began to practice, and like many new self-trained to the path I took a lot of what I read as gospel. As I developed along my path I began to think more critically and I came to realize that Wicca really wasn't 100% in fitting with my beliefs. I began to take a more eclectic path, finding things that resonated with me and exploring my own thoughts and ideas until I came up with a path that is my own.